In the 1980s, we had the handwritten letter. By the '90s, we often used e-mail because it was easier and more immediate. This decade, our communications have gotten increasingly short, often circulated one sentence at a time on Facebook, Twitter or via text message. ...more

December 31, 2009

Santa has come and gone; there's dinner to cook and lots to clean up. Although historians disagree on the actual day Jesus was born, Christians celebrate today. But how many people remember the reason for the season in the midst of all the holiday revelry? ...more

December 25, 2009

A casting call for the Discovery Channel series "Pitchmen" is set for Wednesday in Ybor City. ...more

October 31, 2009

Members of the courtroom audience were completely silent as Judge Peter Estrada addressed Travis Kelton Hill III before formally sentencing him for DUI manslaughter on Monday. ...more

October 27, 2009

A casting call for the Discovery Channel series "Pitchmen" is set for Nov. 4 in Ybor City, according to radio host MJ Kelli of "The MJ Morning Show" on WFLZ, 93.3 FM. Kelli says he has teamed up with "Pitchmen" co-host Anthony Sullivan for a special event to find inventors for the series' second season. ...more

October 26, 2009

Family members are planning a private farewell for actress Natasha Richardson in the town in New York's Hudson Valley where she wed actor Liam Neeson and raised their two sons. ...more

March 22, 2009

You've got to look out for No. 1. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Everybody's in it for themselves. ...more

March 14, 2009

"Compulsion" by Jonathan Kellerman begins with a description of a grisly murder. Somehow, detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware find a minor connection between murders whose only link is that the killer uses luxury vehicles to travel in. There seems to be no motive in the murders but Milo and Alex feel they were committed by the same person, even though it seems hard to believe that the brutal murderer is somehow connected with both the wealthy center of Los Angeles and New York City. The known murders cover a period of at least 10 years and Alex is sure that the same person is responsible. In the absence of any connecting motives, Alex concludes that the perpetrator is obviously a very clever madman who is killing because he can. When Alex and Milo track down the devious character, they also provide some closure for the grieving parents who had been wondering what happened to their teenage son, missing for the past 10 years. The answer is an unhappy one but knowing what happened makes the couple grateful that they will be able to find their son's body and have a memorial service. And Milo is happy to be able to take at least one "cold case" from his files. ...more

February 18, 2009

Mark O'Meara said Sunday that Tiger Woods looks better than ever and is ready to return to the PGA Tour, but he stopped short of saying the world's No. 1 player would be at the Accenture Match Play Championship that starts Feb. 25. ...more

February 16, 2009

We all love a good love story. When this essay came across our desk, we wondered if it was fact or fiction. ...more

February 14, 2009